When examining the historical
sections of Saunders’ Lincoln in the Bardo, it allows readers to experience
the grieving and sadness of the loss of a child alongside President Lincoln and
his family through the recollections of those around the Lincolns during this
time of melancholy. The historical accounts put into perspective the severity
of Willie’s death, creating strong empathy in readers as they experience
Lincoln’s pain through these passages. For example, Smith-Hill writes, “The
tension and grief in the chapel were palpable. The President’s head, as he
spent these last precious moments with his boy, was bent – in prayer, weeping,
or consternation, we could not tell” (Saunders 293). Although it is unknown
whether this passage is real or not real, it still paints a vivid picture in
readers head of the grieving Lincoln experienced from the death of his
son. Personally, I do not believe it
matters that some of the sources are not real, because they still help
illustrate the events of the time and if they are false, they continue to be supported
by other true accounts. The false sections only add support to the true
sections present in the novel.
The commentary from the ghosts in
the bardo also complements the historical sections of the novel by presenting a
different angle of President Lincoln’s grieving towards the death of Willie.
The ghosts are presented as viewers who have no attachment to President
Lincoln, unlike the historical narratives who were either people working for,
close to, or criticizing Lincoln. Also, the historical sections tend to focus
on other aspects of Lincoln as well, as he becomes deeply involved with the
Civil War during this time. The ghosts,
on the other hand, did not even realize who Lincoln was until late into the
novel, and therefore had no opinion of him and only saw him as a man lamenting
over his son. Hans Vollman watches Willie interact with his father and writes,
“He sat there, within his father, a look of consternation on his little face,
seeming more upset than comforted by whatever he was hearing” (Saunders
286). At this point, the ghosts are
still unaware of who Willie and President Lincoln are, and address them as “the
boy” and “his father.” Because of this, the ghosts truly only focus on the pain
of the two men, without the criticism and mention of the Civil War like the
historical sections address. Overall,
both the historical sections and the commentary from the ghosts work together
to illustrate the heartbreak felt by the President Lincoln and Willie after
Willie’s tragic death.
This post revised my view of historical aspects of the novel. We understand that this novel is a source of fiction, and that not all of the “historical” perspectives are true. In fact, they often disagree with each, which often leaves us with differing ideas on the situation and people. The true historical perspectives have an opinion of Lincoln and their views are often biased. The ghosts in the Bardo are different. In the beginning, it is understood that none of the ghosts know who Lincoln is, beyond the fact he is Willie’s father. For them he is just a man grieving over the loss of his son. They find him odd because of the touching of Willie’s body, and through that he is important to them. Bevins states “We were perhaps not so unlovable as we had come to believe” (pg.70). Lincoln provides them hope that the families that they left behind still care for them. They have no understanding of the role Lincoln plays until Vollman and Bevins enter his body. “Mr. Lincoln was President. How could it be?” (pg. 174).. It provides us, for once, a view of Lincoln that is not politically biased. We see him as a father, as a man. I agree with the post that the historical sections and the Bardo sections intertwine to give us a whole perspective on Lincoln. We see how the war made him not exhibit his grief, but how internally he was crushed by Willie’s death.
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